Video quality of DVD>monitor vs. graphics card>monitor

[stream]

So, I just bought a new Planar PX212M, a very nice monitor with analog, digital, s-video, and composite video inputs. I run my standalone DVD player into the S-video input and my computer obviously goes into the digital input.

Well, I'll play a movie on my standalone into the S-video input on the monitor, then I'll watch the .VOB's of that same movie on my computer, which goes digitally into the monitor.

I can almost swear that the video quality is better on the digital input. This doesn't really make sense, as I would think the standalone DVD>s-video method would produce better quality video. The video that results from the standalone dvd player into the s-video input almost seems blurred at times during scenes with lots of movement.

Does this have anything to do with the fact that the standalone player is progressive scan? Or is the digital video signal from a graphics card simply higher quality than s-video signals?

-jesse

[Gurm]

The S-Video signal is still a 400x400 signal (yeah I know, it's a little different from that, but whatever...)

The signal from your video card is a 1024x768 or 1280x1024 signal.

DVD resolution is 720x480.

Which do YOU think will look better?

(We're assuming, here, that the software player on the computer is as good as the hardware decoding on your deck...)

- Gurm

[stream]

Wait a second. If the resolution of a s-video signal is less than the resolution of the DVD video format, what is the point of s-video, if all it will do is degrade the resulting video quality?

Am I just not understanding this?

-jesse

[Gurm]

Well, S-Video is better than regular composite video. They are both an analogue signal which only carries standard TV-resolution...

- Gurm

[stream]

So, on a standalone DVD player that only has composite and s-video outputs, exactly how are you supposed to take advantage of the higher DVD quality?

-jesse

[Gurm]

Define "higher DVD quality".

You're getting a much BETTER 400x400 signal than you would from a VCR, that much is for sure.

- Gurm

[stream]

I guess I don't understand why companies would build a DVD player that intentionally sends a 720x480 signal through a 400x400 cable as its "highest" quality output option.

-jesse

[Gurm]

Because most people own an output device that is only capable of displaying 400x400? It's called a TV.

- Gurm

[fslove]

So, on a standalone DVD player that only has composite and s-video outputs, exactly how are you supposed to take advantage of the higher DVD quality?

-jesse

Well you SHOULD be using the Component outputs to get the true resolution of the DVD's.

The other outputs are there because in the overall picture (all Tv's totalled) there are not many TV's that have Component inputs but only S-Video or Composite. Still DVD's will look FAR surperior to VHS or any other inputted signal to a analog TV (with no Component inputs).